LIHU‘E — While the county Charter Review Commission debates the merits and legality of the controversial county manager system of government, a number of other, more germane proposed changes are moving closer to earning spots on the ballot. While elections
LIHU‘E — While the county Charter Review Commission debates the merits and legality of the controversial county manager system of government, a number of other, more germane proposed changes are moving closer to earning spots on the ballot.
While elections across the nation are taking place today — the first Tuesday in November 2009 — Kaua‘i already has its eye on 2010. At its Oct. 26 meeting, the commission approved resolutions for three amendments and moved forward on proposed language for a fourth.
The first approval, which would amend Sections 19.19 and 19.20 of the Kaua‘i County Charter, would “implement housekeeping changes to bring the county’s financial procedures regarding centralized purchasing and disposition of surplus property in conformance with state law and the Hawai‘i Administrative Rules” because some existing provisions on the subject have never been revised since the charter was first adopted in 1969, the resolution says.
The proposal, which would remove large swaths of the sections in question and state simply that “all procurements shall be conducted pursuant to state law,” has already earned preliminary approval from the Office of the County Attorney after legal review. Should it pass final legal review, it will appear on the 2010 ballot.
A second proposal passed unanimously 4-0 last week would amend Section 20.04 to require that any county employee who is authorized to act on behalf of the director or deputy director of the Department of Finance to file a disclosure statement with the county Board of Ethics.
The resolution, which stated that the purchasing agent is the only non-appointed employee who must file a disclosure statement currently, passed initial legal review.
The third resolution to gain approval would amend Section 20.05 to extend the time limit for the Board of Ethics to render an advisory opinion from 30 to 60 days.
The amendment, if approved by voters next year, would also add language stating that opinions “shall be binding on the board in any subsequent charges concerning the officer or employee of the county until said opinion is amended or revoked by the board.”
Another amendment that was tentatively approved and will now earn a legal review would increase terms for the Kaua‘i County Council from two years to four. It would also change term limits from four two-year terms to two four-year terms, resetting the clock on any councilmembers who have been on the body since 2006, when term limits were approved by the voters.
The change would take effect in the 2012 election if it is passed by voters in 2010.
A related proposal that would change the policy for filling council vacancies to bring it into alignment with the procedure for replacing a mayor — any vacancy in the first half of a four-year term would require a special election at the next election, while a vacancy after that point would be filled by the council until the term is up — was considered.
In the end, commission members decided that it would be confusing for voters to roll the issue into the ballot question for the term change and could be rendered moot if the term change is not approved. If the term change is approved, however, the vacancy procedure could get another look from the commission between 2010 and 2012.
Lastly, a fifth proposed amendment that would amend Section 20.03B was deferred so that the Board of Ethics can review it.
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
